Finger protecting ampoule cap

ABSTRACT

A finger protecting device or cap for engaging tips of flamesealed ampoules when removing the same is provided in the form of a generally conical hollow plastic body having a rounded portion at least partially closing the smaller end and the larger, fully open end integrally joining an outwardly extending circumferential planar flange with a diameter more than twice that of said open end. The body portion of the device adjacent said flange is of essentially cylindrical contour, and between said cylindrical portion and rounded end a tapering portion of the device is contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure of the walls thereof, thereby facilitating the firm grasping of an ampoule end disposed therein. The contouring is preferably provided by a reduced wall thickness centrally of the tapering portion of the device, such reduced wall thickness either extending circumferentially of the tapering portion or being located at circumferentially spaced longitudinal sections thereof.

[4 1 ,lan.28,1975

[ 1 FINGER PROTECTING AMPOULE CAP [75] Inventors: Raymond Goldberg, East Meadow;

Irving F. Shaw, East Rockaway, both of NY.

[73] Assignee: West Laboratories, Inc., Long island City, N.Y.

221 Filed: Mar. 12, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 339,777

[57] ABSTRACT A finger protecting device or cap for engaging tips of flame-sealed ampoules when removing the same is provided in the form of a generally conical hollow plastic body having a rounded portion at least partially closing the smaller end and the larger, fully open end integrally joining an outwardly extending circumferential planar flange with a diameter more than twice that of said open end. The body portion of the device adjacent said flange is of essentially cylindrical contour, and between said cylindrical portion and rounded end [52] US. Cl 150/52 R, 215/32, 81/34 a tapering portion of the device is contoured to pro- [51] 1nt.Cl. 865d 17/02 vide enhanced radial flexure of the walls thereof, [58] Field of Search 150/52 R; 215/32, 11 C; thereby facilitating the firm grasping of an ampoule 128/252; 81/34 end disposed therein.

The contouring is preferably provided by a reduced [56] References C'ted wall thickness centrally of the tapering portion of the UNITED STATES PATENTS device, such reduced wall thickness either extending 167,613 9/1875 Knapp 128/252 circumferentially of the tapering portion or being 2,093,130 9/1937 Kurkjian 128/252 located at circumferentially spaced longitudinal 2,768,736 10/1956 Govoni 150/52 R UX e ti n th re f 3,323,276 6/1967 Thomas 215/11 C X 3,358,864 12/1967 Meierhoefer 215/11 C 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Primary ExaminerDonald F. Norton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard E. Thompson, Jr.

5 I C' Q /2 FM L k? /0 I l I /4 t. I

l Z2 3 j FINGER PROTECTING AMPOULE CAP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the use of flame-sealed ampoules employed in the packaging of injectable fluids and other liquids, the step of opening such ampoules by breaking off the seal tip in order to gain access to the fluid contents has long been recognized as involving a considerable risk of injury due to contact with jagged glass edges as the tip separates as well as breakage of the tip while engaged by the fingers of the user.

Applicants have been particularly mindful of this problem and have previously developed safety devices for use in the opening of ampoules as evidenced by their prior US. Pat. No. 3,544,020 issued Dec. 1, 1970 and their co-pending application Ser. No. 86,132, filed Nov. 2, I970 maturing as US. Pat. No. 3,720,250 on Mar. 13, 1973. These prior devices, the first being a conical cap-like member having longitudinally spaced positioning ribs on the inner surface thereof, and the second having circumferentially spaced inward projections adjacent the open end thereof have proved highly effective and in use and stirred considerable interest among those having to utilize the contents of flamesealed ampoules.

A practical problem with the earlier devices, however, is that the internal projections which characterize both type of device sufficiently complicate the molding operation as to prevent economic production of the device as a one use disposable device; and experience to date has indicated that a one use, disposable device is much preferred among those having to work with the contents of flame-sealed ampoules.

THE INVENTION The improved finger protecting device or ampoule cap of the present invention overcomes the practical limitations of the earlier devices as above-described while maintaining all of the safety aspects of the earlier devices by providing a device which is free of obstructions on its inner surfaces of the type tending to complicate separation of the formed part from molds or dies.

Regarded in certain of its broader aspects the improved finger protecting device or ampoule cap of the present invention comprises an elongated hollow plastic body of generally conical contour having a rounded portion at least partially closing the smaller end thereof, the opposed larger end being completely open and integrally joining an outwardly extending circum ferential planar flange with a diameter more than twice the diameter of said open end, the portion of said elongated body adjacent said flange, and for a distance equivalent to about one-third to two-thirds the diameter of said open end, being of cylindrical cross section and disposed perpendicularly to said flange, and the portion of said elongated body between said cylindrical portion and rounded end being contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure of the walls thereof, thereby facilitating the firm grasping of an ampoule end disposed therein.

The contoun'ng of the tapering portion of said elongated body between the cylindrical portion and rounded end preferably takes the form of variable wall thickness to provide a significant reduction in wall thickness within said tapering portion. The reduced wall thickness can extend circumferentially of the device or can be confined to a plurality of circumferentially spaced and longitudinally extending portions of the device. Either way the reduction in wall thickness will permit easy radial flexure of the walls of the tapering portion as engaged by two or more fingers when grasping an ampoule tip, arranged within the device. to sever the same from the ampoule body.

The device in its tapering portion can have a uniform taper, whereby the outer surface of the elongated body will appear as essentially straight convergent lines as viewed from the side. Alternatively, the tapering can be varied, i.e. more pronounced by the cylindrical portion and more gradual adjacent the rounded end so that as viewed from the side the periphery of the device within the tapering portion has an inwardly bowed contour.

In general the uniformly taper contour is best suited to accommodate larger sized ampoule tips such as those on 5, 10 and 50 ml. ampoules. The variable taper on the other hand is better adapted for use with the smaller tips associated with l, 2 and sometimes 5 ml. ampoules.

It will be understood that the enhanced radial flexibility provided in both the uniform and variably tapered forms of the device permits accommodation to a wide variation in size and shape of ampoule tips. The device can be used for example with an ampoule tip which fits so closely so as to become wedged therein as well as with an ampoule tip of substantially reduced diameter so that the device must be substantially flattened in the hand of the user when grasping the engaged ampoule tip. The device can be fashioned from various moldable plastic materials, and a preferred construction material from the standpoint of economy and desired flexibility is molded polyethylene. Because of the unobstructed inner surfaces of the device, and inherently unobstructed outer surfaces, economies both in tooling costs and quantity production are such that the device can readily be distributed as a one-use disposable type device. In this connection, the term ampoule cap has been used because some distributors of ampoule products may find it practical to market such products with a single protecting device or cap mounted on the removable tip of each ampoule.

Structural features of the improved finger protecting device in accordance with the present invention will readily be understood from a consideration of the following description'in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which preferred adaptations of the invention have been illustrated with the various parts thereof identified by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in'which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a finger protecting device in accordance with the present invention shown in association with an ampoule tip and with part of the structure broken away and in section;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a somewhat modified form of finger protector within the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line d-d in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a composite view showing contours of typical ampoule tips intended to be engaged by the finger protectors shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, a finger protect ing device 10 is shown in engagement with flame-sealed tip 11, of an ampoule 12 which joins the tip 11 at a reduced portion or neck 13, the point at which severance of the ampoule tip 11 is intended. It has long been the practice to nick the reduced neck 13 with a small file or abrasive to induce circumferential cracking of the glass at the reduced neck 13 when pressure transversely to the axis is applied to the tip 11.

it is becoming increasingly the practice, however, to chemically etch or prestress ampoules at the neck portion 13 to eliminate the inconvenience of having to have a file or abrasive available as above described. This chemical etching or prestressing permits severance of the ampoule tip with the usual application of cross-axial force to the tip 11.

The finger protecting device comprises an elongated hollow plastic body of generally conical contour having a rounded portion a" at least partially closing the smaller end 14, and being completely open at the other end 15. The elongated body is integrally joined at end 15 to an outwardly extending circumferential planer flange 16 having a diameter which is more than twice the diameter of a substantially cylindrical wall portion 17 adjacent said flange and disposed perpendicularly thereto.

The cylindrical portion 17 extends from the flange 16 a distance b terminating in a surface break 18 beyond which the elongated body is of progressively re duced diameter. The axial length b of the cylindrical portion is preferably within the range of about onethird to two-thirds the diameter of the cylindrical portion 17.

Throughout the tapering portion 0 which extends from the surface break 18 to the rounded end 14 the plastic material of the elongated body is contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure of the walls thereof facilitating firm grasping of an ampoule tip 11 disposed within the device. The device is preferably molded from flexible plastic material such as polyethylene in which the relatively thin-walled structure provides inherent flexiblity in the walls of the device. It will be noted, however, that the association of the cylindrical portion 17 and flange 16 tends to provide form retaining stiffness to the open end 15 limiting flexibility of the side walls in the tapering portion c of the device. It is therefore desirable to contour the tapering portion 0, preferably at the inner surface thereof, to provide a graduated wall thickness such that the central portion 19 of tapering section 6 is substantially thinner than the portions thereof adjacent to surface break 18 and the rounded end 14 as clearly shown in FIG. ll of the drawing. This graduation of wall thickness can extend circumferentially of the tapering section c and this is the adaptation intended to be illustrated in FIG. 1 of the a drawing.

In the sectional view shown in FIG. 3 a slight variation in this structure is shown in that at the section line dd the reduced wall thickness 19' has been shown as located at circumferentially spaced portions of the device, 3 such circumferentially spaced portions being shown. Either form of contouring of the inner surface of section 0 of the device is readily accomplished by suitable surface contouring of the inner or core part of the mold or die used to fashion the device without in any way interfering with free separation of the mold or die parts.

In the modified form of device as shown in FIG. 2 all of the reference characters as applied to FIG. 1 are equally applicable. The essential difference between these two structures is that within the tapering portion c the walls assume an inwardly curved contour 20 with the portion of section c closest to the rounded end 14 assuming an essentially cylindrical contour as seen at 21.

In this modification it will be seen that the distance between the flange l6 and the rounded end 14 is substantially reduced. Throughout the section 0 however, the modification shown in FIG. 2 will have the variation in wall thickness previously described in connection with FIG. 1 extending either circumferentially of the device or confined to circumferentially spaced portions thereof as shown in FIG. 3.

The purpose of providing a device with the modified structure shown in FIG. 2 in addition to that shown in FIG. I is to better accommodate the variety of shapes and sizes of flame-sealed ampoule tips generally encountered. By way of illustration there have been shown in FIG. 4 of the drawing 4 typical ampoule tips associated with ampoules of different fluid content as indicated which are drawn to the same general scale as the tip 11 in FIG. 1 of the drawing, which is characteristic of the tip on a 50 ml. ampoule. The 5 and 10 ml. tips 11 as shown in FIG. 4 can be generally classified as intermediate length, narrow and intermediate bulbous tips respectively, and tips of this general contour are readily accommodated by the finger protecting device as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing. The 1 ml. and 2 ml. tips 11 as shown in FIG. 4 might be termed short narrow and short bulbous tips respectively, and tips of this general contour are readily engaged by a finger protecting device of the type shown in FIG. 2 of the draw- It is significant to note that the length of the removable tips 11 bears little relationship to the contents of the associated ampoule, a limiting factor being that the tip 11 must be long enough to be conveniently grasped by the fingers. In this connection it should be emphasized that the contoured construction within the section c of the device as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 which enhances the radial flexibility within section 0 enables the user to firmly grasp associated tips 11 of either the narrow or bulbous type as inserted in the device. Thus it is considered that two standard forms of device as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 should accommodate practically all variations in size and shape of ampoule tips currently in use.

There can be considerable variation in the nature of contouring the tapered portion c to enhance its radial flexure. If desired, the entire section c can be of thinner walled construction. When using the approach illustrated in FIG. 3, suitable flexibility may be provided by employing two, or even one, of the longitudinally extending panels of reduced thickness 19'.

The finger protecting device can be marketed as a one-use type device to be discarded along with a severed ampoule tip 11. Alternatively the device can, if desired, be re-used for indefinite periods of time. When intended for re-use the device is preferably provided with a small aperture 22 in the rounded end 14 thereof to permit insertion of a small probe to facilitate removal of a severed ampoule tip 11 which may become wedged within the device. In instances where no wedging is encountered the severed tip can be ejected by merely orienting the device vertically with the open end in a downward direction and sufficiently relaxing the gripping action on section 0 so that the severed tip 11 can fall out by the action of gravity.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the improved finger protecting device of the present invention is extremely versatile and practical. Furthermore, it has the advantage of easy separation from the forming molds or dies so that the production costs can be kept sufficiently low to permit practical marketing of the finger protector as a one-use throw-away device.

Various changes and modifications in the finger protecting device as herein disclosed will occur to those skilled in the art, and to the extent that such changes and modifications are embraced by the appended claims it is to be understood that they constitute part of the present invention.

We claim:

1. A finger protecting device for grasping the removable end of flame-seal ampoules in the opening thereof, said device comprising of elongated hollow flexible plastic body of generally conical contour having a rounded portion at least partially closing the smaller end thereof, the opposed larger end being completely open and integrally joining an outwardly extending circumferential planar flange with a diameter more than twice the diameter of said open end, the portion of said elongated body adjacent said flange, and for a distance equivalent to about one-third to two-thirds the diameter of said open end, being of cylindrical cross section and disposed perpendicularly to said flange, and the portion of said elongated body between said cylindrical portion and rounded end being of progressively reduced diameter and contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure of the walls thereof, thereby facilitating the firm grasping of an ampoule end disposed therein.

2. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the last named portion of said elongated body is internally contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure by variation in wall thickness, with a reduced wall thickness intermediate said cylindrical portion and rounded end.

3. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said reduced wall thickness is at circumferentially spaced portions of said elongated body.

4. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said reduced wall thickness extends circumferentially of said elongated body.

5. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the last named portion of said elongated body is longitudinally contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure by inward curvature of the walls of said portion of the elongated body as viewed in longitudinal cross section due to rapid, and then more gradual, progressive reduction in the diameter of said portion.

6. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 5 wherein at least part of said inwardly curved walls are of reduced wall thickness.

7. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 6 wherein said reduced wall thickness is at circumferentially spaced portions of said elongated body.

8. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 6 wherein said reduced wall thickness extends circumferentially of said elongated body.

9. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 5 wherein said inward curvature is sufficiently pronounced that a portion of said elongated body adjacent said first named rounded end is of essentially cylindrical contour. 

1. A finger protecting device for grasping the removable end of flame-seal ampoules in the opening thereof, said device comprising of elongated hollow flexible plastic body of generally conical contour having a rounded portion at least partially closing the smaller end thereof, the opposed larger end being completely open and integrally joining an outwardly extending circumferential planar flange with a diameter more than twice the diameter of said open end, the portion of said elongated body adjacent said flange, and for a distance equivalent to about onethird to two-thirds the diameter of said open end, being of cylindrical cross section and disposed perpendicularly to said flange, and the portion of said elongated body between said cylindrical portion and rounded end being of progressively reduced diameter and contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure of the walls thereof, thereby facilitating the firm grasping of an ampoule end disposed therein.
 2. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the last named portion of said elongated body is internally contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure by variation in wall thickness, with a reduced wall thickness intermediate said cylindrical portion and rounded end.
 3. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said reduced wall thickness is at circumferentially spaced portions of said elongated body.
 4. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 2 wherein said reduced wall thickness extends circumferentially of said elongated body.
 5. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 1 wherein the last named portion of said elongated body is longitudinally contoured to provide enhanced radial flexure by inward curvature of the walls of said portion of the elongated body as viewed in longitudinal cross section due to rapid, and then more gradual, progressive reduction in the diameter of said portion.
 6. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 5 wherein at least part of said inwardly curved walls are of reduced wall thickness.
 7. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 6 wherein said reduced wall thickness is at circumferentially spaced portions of said elongated body.
 8. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 6 wherein said reduced wall thickness extends circumferentially of said elongated body.
 9. A finger protecting device as defined in claim 5 wherein said inward curvature is sufficiently pronounced that a portion of said elongated body adjacent said first named rounded end is of essentially cylindrical contour. 